thunder turf
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Fall Thunder Turf Mowing

Fall is a good time to mow the Thunder Turf area, which is the perimeter of short native grasses around the back garden. Thunder Turf is a blend of Buffalo Grass (Bouteloua dactyloides), Blue Grama (Bouteloua gracilis), and Curly Mesquite (Hilaria belangeri), and in my particular situation, Curly Mesquite is the one that has taken Continue reading
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The Three “Thunder Turf” Grasses, And An Extra

Around the perimeter of the back yard is a strip of Thunder Turf, which is a mixture of three short prairie grasses: Buffalograss, Blue Grama, and Curly Mesquite. After two years here, I think I am finally becoming able to recognize the components of Thunder Turf, at least when flower/seed heads are visible. My photos Continue reading
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Thunder Turf Spring Mowing

Thunder Turf is a blend of three short prairie grasses (Buffalograss, Blue Grama, Curly Mesquite). Clearing Bermudagrass away from an area around the perimeter of the back garden and seeding these native grasses was an early months-long project here. This grassy area is now quite well established. It’s not pure, in that I know Bermudagrass Continue reading
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Thunder Turf Repairs

Around the edge of the back yard is a border of Thunder Turf, which is a mixture of three short native grasses. In the second year here, this area is now largely established, although a portion of it did get severely trampled during pond construction (see photo above). Mid November is usually too late to Continue reading
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Late Summer Mowing Of The Thunder Turf

Thunder Turf is a mix of three native grasses (Buffalograss, Blue Grama Curly Mesquite) that each grow only a few inches tall. They are all very drought-tolerant and need minimal care. The first thing I did when I arrived here in February 2023 was embark on the laborious process of removing all the Bermudagrass sod Continue reading
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Native Grasses Get Mown Twice A Year

I don’t have complete coverage yet of my perimeter area of short native grasses (Thunder Turf), but there is a significant amount of grass there, nevertheless. These native grasses were chosen because of their deep roots, drought tolerance, support of wildlife, and minimal care. For instance, the mowing schedule is twice a YEAR! May is Continue reading
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Native Grass Reseeding

The project to seed a perimeter of short native grasses in the back yard was the one that I started first, a year ago, and is not yet complete. Some of the reasons for the partial success were out of my control (e.g., what the builder was doing here on neighboring lots, and weather), and Continue reading
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Sow Thunder Turf In The Fall/Winter, Yes Or No?

I recently reported that there is one area of Thunder Turf native grasses that I want to reseed, but I am hindered at the moment because the builder next-door is over-watering the new turf there, and my garden floods on that side every morning. I hope that once the next-door house is occupied, the watering Continue reading
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More Native Grass Seed — Yes For One Area, No For Another

Last month I reseeded about a quarter of my original short native grass area, to fill in gaps. The seed I am using is Thunder Turf, which is a mixture of three short native grasses. Now I have reseeded about another quarter of the area, along the left side fence. This is where I have Continue reading
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Tiny Grass Seedlings

One encouraging sign after the recent “monsoon” rain was to see hundreds of tiny new grass shoots from the native grass reseeding project 10 days previously. That tells me that these “Thunder Turf” seeds had a chance to germinate before the heavy rain came. I still only have about a quarter of the native grass Continue reading
About Me
Nature Lover.
Inquisitive Observer.
Student Gardener.
I invite you to join me on my journey to convert my sterile (from a nature point of view) new house lot to a healthy and diverse ecosystem, as I make discoveries, mistakes, and hopefully progress. I am not an expert or professional. The project started in February 2023 and the location is Seguin, Texas, USA.
